Debug mode
This page describes the Debug mode available in Essentials. What is Debug mode? Debugging refers to playing a game with the aim of making sure everything works properly in it, and finding and fixing any problems that may arise before the game is made publicly available. To help with this, games will often have a Debug mode, which is a mode only accessible by the game's developers. This mode provides additional commands and options that allow the developers to play through the game more easily and see what is going on behind the scenes. These commands can include the ability to modify Pokémon stats, warp to maps, and change game variables. Essentials has a Debug mode. Enabling Debug mode A game run from RPG Maker XP (rather than run by itself) is automatically in Debug mode. The Debug mode can be also toggled on and off by setting the variable $DEBUG to TRUE or FALSE respectively. The term "playtest" is used to refer to playing a game in Debug mode. Gameplay changes in Debug mode Debug mode changes a number of features in the game, and enables several more options. These changes are: * Upon starting the game, it may compile data in the PBS files if the game detects they have been updated. * The splash and title screens are skipped, and the Continue/New Game screen is shown straight away. ** The Continue/New Game screen contains a "Debug" option which opens a limited form of the Debug menu described below. * The Pause menu contains an extra option: "Debug". This opens the main Debug menu. See below for details. ** This Debug menu can also be accessed by pressing "F9". * Pressing "F7" will open the debug console. * In the Party screen and the Pokémon storage screen, the interact menu for Pokémon/eggs contains an extra option: "Debug". This opens a menu with debugging commands that apply to that Pokémon. See below for details. * In the Bag, the interact menu for items contains an extra option: "Make Mystery Gift". This lets the player create a Mystery Gift containing that item. * The player can throw away important items such as Key Items. * Pokémon can forget HM moves. * The player can use any field moves at any time, even without the required Badge. ** If the field move can be used by interacting with something in the overworld (e.g. a small tree for "Cut", water for "Surf"), then the player can use that move even if none of their Pokémon knows it. ** Field moves that can only be used by selecting it from a Pokémon's menu in the Party screen (e.g. "Teleport", "Sweet Scent", "Fly") still need to be known by a Pokémon in order to select it in the first place. Badge requirements are ignored for these, though. * Holding Ctrl while moving around lets the player pass over every tile regardless of passability. * Holding Ctrl while using the Poké Radar will ignore its low battery. * Holding Ctrl while using Fly will let the player go to all possible Fly destinations, including ones that haven't yet been visited (note that the unvisited locations will not be marked as Fly destinations). * In the Mining mini-game, holding Ctrl while hitting with either tool will not lower the wall's durability. There are some other debug features too, mainly additional messages that are displayed when errors occur. Battle-related debug features * Holding Ctrl while moving around prevents wild Pokémon battles from occurring. * Holding Ctrl while attempting to begin a trainer battle will skip that battle and treat it as a win for the player. * Holding Ctrl when opening the "Fight" menu will cause the Mega Evolution option to be accessible (if the Pokémon has a Mega form), regardless of whether the player has a Mega Ring item or whether they have already Mega Evolved in this battle. The Pokémon must still hold the appropriate item required for its Mega Evolution, though. * Holding Ctrl while using an attack will guarantee that the attack's additional effect occurs (if it has one). * Holding Ctrl while throwing a Poké Ball to catch a Pokémon will guarantee that the capture is successful. * Holding Ctrl while using the "Run" command will allow certain escape, even if the player shouldn't be able to flee. This also applies to trainer battles, in which case, the player can choose whether to treat the battle as a win or a loss for them. Debug menu or by pressing "F9"]] The Debug menu contains features useful for debugging or configuring a Pokémon game. You can access it from the Continue/New Game screen, the Pause menu or by pressing "F9" during a playtest. The Debug menu has two levels of options. An option with "..." at the end of its name opens a sub-menu. Debug features are grouped together for easier navigation. The Debug menu features are as follows: When accessed from the Continue/New Game screen, only the "Information editors..." and "Other options..." sub-menus are accessible. This is because the other sub-menus relate to in-game information which doesn't exist yet (because a save file has not been started or loaded). Pokémon Debug menu The Pokémon Debug menu is accessible from the Party screen and the Pokémon storage screen. It contains options that edit aspects of the chosen Pokémon. Most of the options are self-explanatory, and often display information related to the selected option (e.g. the Pokémon's Hidden Power when "Set IVs" is selected). An option with "..." at the end of its name opens a sub-menu with more options in it. The options in the Pokémon Debug menu are as follows